Preceptors

Our faculty comprises a wide range of backgrounds and interests with many holding dual certifications or other advanced degrees. In addition to providing hands-on, 24-hour department supervision and teaching, all faculty members share a commitment to creating an atmosphere that is conducive to the advancement of our specialty.

Faculty members also participate in regional and national professional organizations and research endeavors. Many also serve on national committees and organizations dedicated to the growth and development.

Ben Lomaestro, PharmD is a senior clinical pharmacist specializing in Infectious Diseases at the Albany Medical Center Hospital, and is also an adjunct professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Lomaestro earned his Bachelor of Science and Pharmacy Doctorate degrees from the Albany College of Pharmacy. His appointments include secretary of the Antibiotic and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees and membership of the Epidemiology and Resistance Committees as well as founding member of the hospital’s Antimicrobial Stewardship team.

Dr. Lomaestro is a Past-President of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and of the Northeastern New York State Chapter of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP). He is also a member of the American Society of Medicine and Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Dr. Lomaestro has published extensively in the field of antimicrobial therapy and presented numerous abstracts at state, national and international meetings. He also serves as a reviewer for Annals of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmacotherapy and as an editor for the New York Health System Pharmacists and the Annals of Pharmacotherapy. He is a consultant for several pharmaceutical companies.

Recent awards include the 1997 Clinical Pharmacist of the Year by the New York State American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the 1998 ASHP award for achievement in the professional practice of pharmacy in health systems, and the 2001 New York State Council of Health-system Pharmacists Pfizer Health-system pharmacist of the year.

Dr. Lomeasetro is currently involved in pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic research at AMCH.

Erica Maceira, PharmD received her bachelor’s degree in Biology at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in Plattsburg, New York and her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, NY. She completed an ASHP-Accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency at Albany Medical Center Hospital in Albany, New York. She is a board certified pharmaceutical specialist through ACCP and is a certified anticoagulation care provider as well.

Dr. Maceira is currently employed as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Renal Transplant and Anticoagulation at Albany Medical Center. Dr. Maceira has done extensive work toward Joint Commission compliance with the anticoagulation patient safety goal. She is affiliated with several professional organizations including the American Society of Transplantation (AST), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Dr. Maceira currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty Advisor for the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences APhA-ASP chapter and previously served as the new practitioner mentor.

Her current interests include solid organ transplant, anticoagulation therapy, and heart failure.

Amy Mitchell, PharmDClinical Pharmacy Specialist - Women and Children

Amy Mitchell, PharmD started at AMC in 1995 as the clinical pharmacy specialist for the NICU with an adjunctive assistant professor appointment at Albany College of Pharmacy. A year later, her role and responsibilities expanded to include all portions of the Children’s Hospital. Since 1999, she has held a faculty appointment at Albany Medical College and position of Head of the Division on Pharmaceutical Care in the Department of Pediatrics. In 2003, she again expanded her role to become the clinical pharmacy specialist for Women and Children’s Services.

Dr. Mitchell's position makes her ultimately responsible for anything related to medications, ranging from medication use, smart pump technology and medication error prevention, to education of pharmacy students and medical residents. This is achieved through continuous quality improvement projects involving all health care professionals. For the last several years, she has been the coordinator for preprinted orders used within Women and Children’s Services (over 50 with many more being drafted). Her committee memberships aside from the aforementioned Children’s Hospital QITs include Protocol Committee, POP Committee (secretary), Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee, Antibiotic Committee and CLEAR QIT.

Dr. Mitchell's research focuses primarily on medication use and medication errors, including pharmacokinetics of gentamicin and vancomycin within NICU, antibiotic prescribing practice within pediatrics, prescriber behavior of pediatric residents and various interests relating to pediatric congenital heart repair surgery patients. She has presented more than 2 dozen abstracts at national meetings and have published several articles. Dr. Mitchell has precepted over a dozen residents with their research, allowing them to have abstracts submitted/published. The implementation and development of pediatric unit dose parenteral services in 1997 has lead to national exposure including sharing of AMC's system with more than 50 hospitals in North America, workshops presented at Pediatric Academic Societies meetings (2006, 2007) a widely quoted publication in Hospital Pharmacy (2004), a ISMP teleconference (2004) and multiple on-site visits from various institutions. This program has been touted by JCAHO as a means to eliminate the rule of 6 and achieve compliance with safely goal 3b and was awarded the National Hospital Pharmacy Quality Award. Dr. Mitchell is an active member of the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group since 1999.

Martha Naber, PharmD received her bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the Albany College of Pharmacy where she later received her Doctor of Pharmacy. She completed an non-traditional critical care residency at Albany Medical Center Hospital in 2004. She has extensive experience in both the hospital and home care pharmacy settings.

Dr. Naber is current the clinical pharmacy specialist in the medical intensive care unit. Her responsibilities include education of the medical residents and she is the lead pharmacist for the smart pump drug library team. Her committee involvement includes the pharmacy and therapeutic committee, renal quality improvement team, intensive care quality improvement team and the antibiotic subcommittee. She is involved in numerous professional organizations including the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Pharmacist Society of the State of New York. Dr. Naber serves as a reviewer for the American Journal of Health-Systems Pharmacy. She has had numerous posters presented at national meetings and has been published in Chest.

Dr. Naber currently serves on the Utilization Review Committee for the Visiting Nurse Association of Albany, New York. She is also on the board of the Albany Curling Club where she is acting Secretary. Her current interests include critical care, pulmonary medicine and infectious disease.

Edward G. Timm, Pharm D is Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Critical Care, at Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, New York. He is Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at Albany College of Pharmacy. Dr. Timm is also a board member of the New York State Commission for the Quality of Health Care for the Mentally Disabled. He served as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the State University of New York, Albany University from 1986 -2004.

Dr. Timm received his BS in pharmacy from St. John’s University School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Services in Jamaica, New York and his MS in hospital pharmacy administration from the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, Long Island University, in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at State University of New York at Buffalo School of Pharmacy. Among his academic honors were the Excellency in Pharmacy Research Award and Excellence in Clinical Pharmacy Award from the State University of NY at Buffalo, and the Merck Achievement Award in Pharmaceutics from St. John’s University School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Services.

Dr. Timm has presented at national grand rounds, annual meetings, and symposia on the subjects of antibiotic resistance, fungal infections, MRSA, and sepsis management. He has contributed book chapters to pharmacy texts and has published articles, reviews, and abstracts in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Pharmacotherapy, American Journal of Managed Care, and American Journal of Kidney Disease, among others. He is a member of the, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists; he has served on the Editorial Advisory Board of The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.